Chicken counting machine



Oct. 15, 1940. H. B. HARNAR CHICKEN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l a g: SIHMCYVIOL [far 11 fir Oct. 15, 1940. HARNAR 2,218,423

CHICKEN COUNTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 8, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I E I 46) gvw /rvkm f /9 Harna Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UN! T ED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved counting machine particularly adapted for counting chickens, but likewise adaptable for counting other fowl or for counting animals.

More particularly, it isan aim of this invention to provide a portable machine adapted to be positioned at the exit of .a chicken house or between chicken pens and through which the chickens must inleaving the house or in passing from one pen to the other, and which will be actuated by the chickens passing therethrough for counting the chickens leaving the pen or house.

More particularly, it is an aim of this invention to provide a counting device having a depressible platformover which the'ohickens must pass, said platform being depressed by the weight of the chickens for actuating the counting mechanism and for simultaneously actuating a plurality of closures by means of which only one chicken or fowl may be admitted or released from the machine.

Stilla further aim of the invention, is to provide a pair of normally open gates disposed'adjacent the entrance end of the machine and contiguously with the hinged end of a depressible platform to be closed by a chicken stepping on the platform to prevent more than one chicken from being on the platform at any time and to prevent the chicken once on the platform from backing off of it so as to be counted more than once; and apair of doors, at the exit end of the passageway likewise connected to the platform to be opened when it is depressed for permitting the chickento pass outof'the machine.

Still a further object of the -invention is to provide a pair of normally closed doors at the entrance end of the machine for normally closing the machine, when not in use, and means for holding said doors in. a partially open position so that chickens may enter the machine but will be prevented from leaving through the entrance end thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, which illustrate a. preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional View of the machine,

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken along theline 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a vertical transversesectional View taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view,

partly in elevation, illustrating the counting mechanism.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts throughout the difierent views, ll) designates generally the casing or box which comprises the base or bottom ll, sides 12 and top Hi. The box IE! is open at its opposite ends, the end designated by the arrow l4 constituting the entrance, andthe end designated by the arrow l5 constitutingthe exit of the box.

At the entrance end lflof the box Ill a series of steps l6, m provided, which extend inwardly and upwardly from the bottom I l. A platform I! is hinged or pivoted at It to the inner or uppermost step it, extends therefrom to a point adjacent the exit end 15. -latform ii is provided with the oppositely disposed upwardly extending flanges i'l', which lie flush against the sides [2,

for a purpose WllCb. will hereinafter be described.

An expansion coil spring I9 is disposed between the bottom H and platform I! to normally hold it in a raised position substantially parallel to the bottom H, asin Figure l.

A pair of brackets it secured to the sides l-2 adjacent the entrance end 14 journal the vertically disposed rods N to which aresecured the doors .22 by the brackets 23. Springs 24 normally hold doors 22 in a closed position to close the entrance end E4 of the casing l0 when themachine is not in use. A. latchor stop 25 is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends at 2$-to the under side of the top 13 and has the downturned ends 2] to the doors 22, when the'member 25 is disposed transversely of the box It, to hold the doors in their partly open position, as best seen in Figures 2 andB.

A pair of gates 28 are hinged to the sides l2 by the brackets 29 and are normally disposed in an open position, against the sides 12 and extending toward the exit end l5.- Gates -28 are preferably hinged at a point substantially in a vertical line with the hinged end 18 of the platform H. A pair of doors or gates 30 arehinged'to the sides l2 by corresponding brackets 29,- at the exit end l5 of the box ill and are normally disposedin a closed position, as best seen in Figures 1 and 2. Gates or doors iii! are preferably formed of a large heavy gage mesh wire fabric as are likewise the gates 28, while the doors 22 are solid, being preferably formed of sheet metal.

T-shaped levers, designated generally 3|, are pivotally mounted on the sides l2 at, the junction of their three arms, as indicated at 32. The levers 3| have the corresponding arms 33 and 34 with eyelets 35 at their free ends. The corresponding depending arms 34 of the levers 3| are connected by their eyelets 35 to the links 36 which are connected at their opposite ends to the cranks 31 secured to the gates 28, while the links 38 similarly connect the corresponding arms 33 to cranks 39 which are secured to the doors 30. The third arm 48, of each of the levers 3|, which is disposed substantially at right angles to the arms 33 and 34 to form with each of said arms a bell crank, is provided with the flat free end 4| provided with a plurality of openings adapted to selectively receive an end of a link 42 the opposite end of which extends through and is bent to form a hook to engage the platform 17. It will thus be seen that each of the levers 3| is connected by a link 42 to the platform I! and also connected by a link 35 and 38 to a gate 28 and a door 38, respectively.

As best seen in Figure 1, a cover 43 is hinged at 44 to the top i3 and may be secured in a closed position by a swinging latch 45 to form the compartment 46 in which is disposed the counting mechanism, designated generally 41. The counting mechanism 4'! comprises the inverted U- shaped support 48 which is secured to the top l3 and disposed in the compartment 46 and between the upwardly extending free ends of which is seemed an axle 49. Journaled on the axle 49 are the three wheels 58, 5| and 52, the periphery of each of which is calibrated in numerals from 0 to 9, as best seen in Figure 3. A flange 53 projects from the corresponding side of each of these wheels and forms a segment of a circle having its opposite ends spaced to form the openings 54. Each of the flanges 53 is provided with nine equally spaced notches 55 to correspond with the calibrations on the peripheries of the wheels. A U-shaped member 56 has its terminal ends loosely mounted on the axle 49 on the outer side of the wheels and between the uprights of the member 48 and at one side is provided with an arm 51 forming a continuation of one of the legs of the member 56, and which is provided with a plurality of spaced openings, as best seen in Figure 4. A rod 58 extends between the legs of the U- shaped member 56 and is disposed adjacent to the intermediate portion thereof, to pivotally mount a U-shaped member 59 the legs of which are loosely mounted on the rod 58. The intermediate portion or bar 60 of the member 59 depends downwardly from the rod 58 and is provided with a plurality of depending dogs 6|, 52 an 63 of decreasing length. Each of these do s has an inturned tapered end 64 and as best seen in Figure 3, the dog 6| extends inwardly to engage th notches of the flange 53 of wheel 5!), while dog 62 is adapted to engage the notches of the flange of wheel 5|, and dog 63 the notches of the flange of wheel 52. Inasmuch as dog Si is longer than dog 62 and dog 62 is longer than dog 63, when the dog 6| has its end 64 engaging one of the notches 55 of its flange 53, dogs 82 and 63 will be thereby held out of engagement with the notches 55 of the other two flanges 53. A coil spring 65, carried by rod 58 and having one of its terminals engaging bar 60 and the other terminal engaging the intermediate portion of the U-shaped member 56, urges the dogs toward the flanges 53. A link 66 has one of its ends selectively positioned in one of the openings of the arm 51 and its opposite end selectively positioned in one of the openings of an arm 40 of one of the levers 3| to connect the counting mechanism 41 to the platform I7.

From the foregoing it will be seen, that each time that the arm 51 is drawn downwardly by the link 66 that the dog 6|, which is in engagement with one of the notches 55 will turn the wheel 50, in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 4, the length of one of its notches and the distance of one numeral on the periphery of the wheel 58 so that a complete revolution of the wheel 50 would ordinarily constitute a count of 10. As the dog 6| reaches the zero mark on the wheel 50, constituting the end 01 the revolution of the wheel, end 64 of the dog will be urged into the space 54 by the spring 65 allowing the dog 62 to engage the first notch 55 of the flange 53 of wheel 5| to turn it until the numeral one is exposed in line with the zero on wheel 50. It will thus be seen that after each ten movements of the wheel 50 the wheel 5| will be moved onetenth of a revolution and after ten movements of wheel 5| Wheel 52 will be moved, a tenth of a revolution, because at this point the opening 54 of the flanges 53 of both the wheels 58 and 5| will be aligned and positioned to receive the ends 64 of the dogs 6| and 62 allowing dog 63 to be projected into engagement with its flange 53. The counting mechanism 41 as illustrated is thus adapted for counting up to nine hundred and ninety-nine and obviously additional wheels may be provided if the counting mechanism 41 need be adapted for even greater numbers.

As best seen in Figure 4, leaf springs 61 are secured to the support 48 and positioned so that their free ends engage the notches 55 of the three flanges 53 to prevent the wheels 50, 5| and 52 from being accidentally revolved.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that the doors 22 may be manually opened and positioned in an open position by the latch member 25 and in this position they will project inwardly of the casing l0 and be disposed obliquely thereto so that a fowl or animal may enter through entrance |4 past the doors 22, which can give inwardly if necessary, to allow the fowl or animal to pass but which will prevent the fowl or animal from leaving through entrance |4 due to the inwardly converging relationship of the two doors 22. Assuming that the machine ID is being used to count chickens, the chicken passes in through entrance I4 as heretofore described, up the steps l6 and onto the platform l1. At the time that the chicken steps onto the platform I! gates 28 are in an open position, as illustrated in Figure 1, and doors 30 are in a closed position, as seen in Figure 2. As the chicken moves toward the gate 38 its weight will depress platform I! against the action of the coil spring |9 thereby drawing links 42 downwardly to rock levers 3| in a clockwise direction, as seen in Figure 1, to simultaneously swing gates 28 to a closed position and gates 30 to an open position. It will thus be seen, that only one chicken can step on the platform I! at any time as the gates 28 will prevent a second chicken from moving onto the platform and these gates will likewise function to prevent a chicken on the platform from backing off so as to be counted twice. As soon as the chicken on the platform I! leaves through the exit IS the platform will be raised by spring l9 to close doors 38 and open gates 28 by the operation of links 42 which swing levers 3| in an opposite or counterclockwise direction. Since one of the levers 3| is connected to arm 51 by the link 66 the platform I! will likewise actuate the counting mechanism 41 each time that the platform is depressed so that an accurate count of the chickens passing through casing ID will be obtained. Should a chicken fiy through the casing II] without touching platform I! and force the doors 39 open as it passes out of the casing, the door 30 will actuate the levers 3|, one of which is connected tothe counting mechanism 41, which will be actuated thereby in the same manner as when platform I! is depressed. The upwardly projecting flanges [1' will prevent any trash, carried onto the platform by the chickens, from dropping down between the sides l2 and platform I! to prevent the platform from being fully depressed; and will also prevent the chickens toes from oecoming wedged between the sides of the platform l1 and the sides 12.

Various modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of the parts forming the invention are contemplated and may be resorted to, as the drawings and description are only intended to illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof, and the right is therefore expressly reserved to make such variations and changes as fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class described, a box having open ends forming an entrance and exit, respectively, steps disposed adjacent the entrance end of the box, a platform hinged to the topmost of said steps and extending therefrom toward the exit end of the box, spring means normally retaining said platform in a raised position, normally closed hinged door means mounted at the exit end of the box, normally open hinged gate means mounted adjacent the hinged end of the platform, lever means pivotally connected to the box, links connecting the door means, gate means and platform to the lever means for closing the gate means and opening the door means when the platform is depressed whereby one chicken at a time may pass through the box, doors hinged to the sides of said box at the entrance end thereof, spring means normally holding said doors in a closed position, and latch means for retaining said doors in a partly open position whereby the chickens may enter said box but may not leave it through the entrance end thereof.

.2. A fowl passageway comprising an elongated casing provided with open ends forming an entrance and an exit, a raised platform hinged adjacent the entrance end of said casing and extending to the exit end thereof, spring means normally holding said platform in a raised position, gates hinged to the sides of said casing, adjacent the entrance end thereof, and normally disposed in an open position, doors hinged to the sides of said casing, at the exit end thereof, and normally disposed in a closed position, T-shaped levers hinged at their intersection points to the sides of said casing, links connecting the corresponding ends of said levers to said gates and doors, and links connecting the other ends of said levers to said platform whereby the doors will be opened and the gates closed by depressing the platform so that only one chicken at a time may pass through the machine.

3. A fowl passageway having a pivotally mounted bottom, spring means normally holding the bottom in a raised position, closures mounted adjacent the ends of the passageway, means connecting the closures and bottom for actuating them so that one fowl at a time may pass through the passageway, a pair of vertically hinged doors disposed at the entrance end of said passageway, spring means normally retaining said doors in a closed position, and latch means for holding the doors in a partially open inwardly converging position whereby the doors will yield to permit foWls to enter the passageway therethrough but will prevent fowls from passing outwardly therethrough.

4. A device of the class described comprising a casing having open ends forming an entrance and an exit, a depressible platform hingedly mounted in the casing adjacent the entrance end and extending to adjacent the exit end of said casing, means for normally holding said platform in a raised position, closures hinged to said casing adjacent the ends of said platform, levers pivotally connected to said casing, links connecting said closures and platform to said levers whereby said closures will be alternately opened and closed by the movement of the platform, flanges rising from the sides of said platform for slidably engaging the sides of said casing, a pair of hinged doors mounted at the entrance end of said casing, spring means normally holding said doors in a closed position, and latch means for retaining said doors in a partially open inwardly converging position.

5. A device of the class described comprising a casing having open ends forming an entrance and an exit, a depressible platform hingedly I mounted in the casing adjacent the entrance end and extending to adjacent the exit end of said casing, means for normally holding said platform in a raised position, closures hinged to said casing adjacent the ends of said platform, link and lever means connecting the said closures and platform whereby said closures will be alternately opened and closed by the movement of the platform, flanges rising from the sides of said platform for slidably engaging the sides of said casing, said link and lever means comprising a T-shaped lever pivotally connected at the junction of its arms to each of the sides of said casing, links connecting the corresponding ends of each of said levers to one of said closures, a link connecting the other arm of each of said levers to said platform, and a link connected to one of said last mentioned arms and adapted to be connected to a counting mechanism whereby said mechanism will be actuated in response to the movement of said platform.

6. A fowl passage comprising a casing having inlet and outlet ends, a platform pivotally mounted in the casing adjacent the inlet end and extending toward its outlet end, closure means hingedly connected to the casing adjacent the ends of the platform, T-shaped lever means mounted in the casing, links connecting said closure means and platform to said lever means whereby one of said closure means will be closed and the other opened when the platform is depressed, and spring means normally holding the platform in a raised position and normally holding one of the closure means in an open position and the other in a closed position.

'7. A device as in claim 6, comprising a pair of hinged inwardly opening doors at the entrance end of the casing, springs normally holding the doors in a closed position, and latch means for retaining the doors in a partly opened position whereby said doors will yield inwardly to permit a fowl to enter the casing, but will prevent the fowl from passing outwardly therethrough.

HARVEY B. HARNAR. 

